Rustic wedding fans, y’all are in for a treat today! Rachel and Grant were married in an intimate church ceremony, and then celebrated with over 300 loved ones at Grant’s family farm. The two of them shared many wonderful memories there over the years, including Grant’s surprise proposal, so the venue was an especially meaningful place for them. It was also a perfect backdrop for all of the DIY details Rachel and her family lovingly created, which gave the wedding a charming Southern farm feel!

Thanks so much to Rachel Moore for sharing Rachel and Grant’s wedding with us!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. From Grant: Rachel and I met at Franklin High School in 2005. When my math teacher left for maternity leave, the class was split up and divided into other classes. As fate would have it, I was placed in the same class as Rachel. I recall telling a friend of mine, “I’m gonna date that girl.” Our relationship was a bit crazy in the beginning–I was a dumb high school boy and didn’t realize how lucky I was to have such an amazing girl. Long story short, I broke Rachel’s heart, and we parted ways when I graduated in 2007. As fate would have it, we ended up at the same college, The University of Tennessee in Knoxville (GO VOLS)! We even worked together at WindyGap, a YoungLife camp, and were able to begin mending the wounds from time apart. I sought out Rachel in summer 2010 before school began, and in protecting herself, she kept me at a distance. However, I was persistent and we began dating. I proposed two years later on September 30, 2012.

Standing next to Grant as I became his wife was a moment I will never forget. It was an amazing feeling to be surrounded by the most important people in our lives as we made the biggest commitment we will ever make. Looking at Grant and knowing that that moment was just the beginning of forever was such a beautifully overwhelming feeling.

We had a private ceremony at New Hope Presbyterian in Franklin, TN. I had always wanted a small, intimate wedding with just close friends and family, and that’s exactly what we did. We chose Grant’s family farm as a wedding reception venue because not only did it fit the style we wanted, it was also sentimental to us and allowed us to invite a large number of family and friends to join in the celebration.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? With cotton in every corner and on every table, spiked Arnold Palmers served out of mason jars, whiskey barrel bars, hay bales, corn hole, and a giant stuffed buck above the groom’s cakes, practically everything about our wedding was Southern!

Describe your wedding cake or dessert. Our wedding cake was made at my favorite bakery. I grew up with birthday cakes that were to die for, and I couldn’t think of a better place to get my wedding cake! It was a simple two-tiered white cake with white icing. My favorite part was the cake toppers–they were a little bride and groom deer that my grandfather made by hand! We choose to serve cupcakes to the majority of our guests in a variety of flavors (chocolate, pumpkin, red velvet, and vanilla).

Tell us all about the proposal! In the weeks leading up to the proposal, Grant and our family and friends began mapping out the details of the big surprise. Grant’s family planned a lunch after church at their family home in Franklin, Tennessee. Madyson, Grant’s sister, was waiting in the bushes, camera ready, while Carson, Grant’s brother, hid on the balcony, ready to drop a banner that read “Marry Me, Chickadee.” After parking the car, Grant met me on the steps of the house, got down on one knee, and asked me to be his for the rest of his life. I answered with an excited “Yes!”

When did y’all get married? October 19, 2013

How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 320

Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? We decided to do a first look because we wanted to be able to truly enjoy that moment, not worrying about where we were standing, what we had to say next, or who would be watching. We wanted the moment to be truly ours.

What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? We had our pastor, Rob Etheridge, read Ephesians 4:12, which says “And a rope made out of three cords isn’t easily broken,” as we took two ends of a rope and tied them in a knot, symbolizing our commitment to each other with God at the center.

Describe your wedding flowers. We decided to buy a large assortment of flowers from a local wholesaler. We used a lot of greenery with pops of colorful flowers, which went perfectly with my vision and budget. The majority of our greenery was seeded eucalyptus, which smelled amazing. For the flowers, we included white hydrangeas, blush and orange garden roses, and an assortment of tea roses. Grant’s grandmother was part of a gardening club and had all of her wonderful ladies come and help us create our centerpieces a couple of days before the wedding. We made sure the arrangements were watered and kept in a dark, cool place, and they looked amazing on the big day! We let the professionals handle the bouquets, which turned out amazingly as well.

If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $10,000-$25,000

What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? Our photographer, Rachel Moore, hands down. She is truly an artist and captures the most beautiful moments. Photography was really important to me, because at the end of the experience, all you have are your photos! It is so important to capture those memories!

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? From Grant: Our first look. The day had been long to that point–I wanted to see her so bad, I couldn’t stand it. I just wanted to know that everything she wanted/needed was happening and that she was having her dream wedding day. She had worked so hard for this, and it was amazing to see it all come together in that moment. Seeing her in that dress for the first time was something I will never forget.

What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Try not to forget why you decided to get married in the first place. There is so much pressure on brides to have the most extravagant and so-called perfect wedding. Remember that what is really the most important is your marriage and the person that you will spend the rest of your life with. Plan your wedding, but most importantly, plan your marriage.

What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? Right now, we are saving to buy a home. We hope to move back to the Franklin area, as we are currently renting a home in Nashville. We look forward to traveling together over the next couple of years. After our honeymoon, we promised that we would each pick one location and go there together. I have chosen Greece, and Grant is still deciding…

COMMENTS

Southern Weddings Weekly Round-Up – Southern Weddings Magazine

[…] Last week on Southern Living, we shared a rustic Tennessee wedding that took place on the groom’s family farm. We love the idea of starting married life at such a meaningful place! See it here. […]

April 11, 2014 at 9:30 am

Caleb

Rustic weddings are becoming popular and why not, they look great. This wedding shows that if a rustic wedding is done right then it looks amazing.

April 10, 2014 at 1:39 pm

Elaine @ EventsbyElaine

I had so much fun helping Rachel and her mom plan this amazing wedding. She put so much thought into every detail.